"Yi Jianlian's exaggerated, oversized cartoon image towers over people as they walk down the 33rd Street side of Madison Square Garden, where China will play Puerto Rico in an exhibition on Sunday. Sporting a menacing scowl and embracing a basketball with powerful forearms that make it appear as if he is about to tear it in two, Yi is a rather imposing figure in posters and billboards promoting the World Basketball Festival this week in New York.

But ask Yi about the gigantic billboard hanging on the side of the world's most famous arena - and the home of the New York Knicks - and the Washington Wizards forward can't help but flash a huge grin. "It's great to see my poster in New York City," Yi said after scoring a team-high 13 points as China lost, 98-51, in a scrimmage against the United States on Saturday. "It's great."

Yi is being promoted as the face of the Chinese national team, with Yao Ming retiring from international play following the 2008 Beijing Olympics and still slow to recover from a major foot injury. And, there was no denying Yi's status as the team's best player as the 7-footer displayed the versatility and athleticism that led the Wizards to acquire him from the New Jersey Nets last June in exchange for Quinton Ross. (The Wizards also received $3 million in the deal.)

"I think I did pretty good," said Yi, who added a team-high seven rebounds in nearly 27 minutes. "I was fighting. We were playing Team US, the best players in the NBA. I'm just focusing on my game. A chance to play Team US, very good opportunity to get ready for the Washington Wizards."

Yi certainly wasn't in awe of his opponents. He made a three-pointer with Derrick Rose charging at him, drove around the foul line to bury a pull-up jumper over Lamar Odom, and later hit a baseline jumper over Tyson Chandler. He also juked Kevin Durant with a pump fake and dribbled around him for a two-handed dunk. "